Progress
by gothicbutterfly95
Summary: 'They're waiting to know you. They want so much to.' After the argument by the lake, Maria watches as the Captain's relationship with each of his children grows, along with their relationship with each other.
1. Hippocampi and Pegasuses

Maria sighed as the cool water lapped her ankles. She could hear Gretl giggle beside her. Her other charges were spread around the grounds. Too hot to do anything, they were doing their best to seek out shade. Maria had been very clear to Liesl that she needed to look out for her brothers and sisters, and she trusted the sixteen year old to follow through.

"You aren't going to drown my daughter again, are you Fraulein?" smirked a voice behind her. She turned her head to find the Captain standing right behind the gate. He didn't sound overly harsh, or even stern. 'Maybe,' Maria thought, 'He's starting to trust me.'

It had barely been a week since the Captain had returned from Vienna with his guests; but so much had changed since. After her employer had been reunited with his children upon hearing the song they had sung for Baroness Schraeder – and rehired her just as quickly as he'd dismissed her – Maria found things had changed not only between him and his children, but also between him and her.

"No sir," she smiled up at him. "I'm right here. I'm not going to let her fall." She tightened her hold around the five year old's waist.

However their dynamic had changed, and however kind he was being right now, Maria knew the Captain had a legitimate reason to worry. Little Gretl couldn't swim; in a lot of ways Maria had wondered how on Earth the daughter of a sea captain wouldn't know how to swim, especially when they had a lake practically in their backyard. But the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Gretl wasn't even two months old when her mother died, and had been estranged from her father ever since. Even if the others knew how to swim, Gretl would never have had the chance to learn.

Maria knew she probably shouldn't have taken Gretl out on the lake that day, even if things had gone differently; even if the boat hadn't tipped. She was so thankful Louisa had been there to save her sister.

"It's just been so hot lately," she continued. "And Gretl wanted to sit by the horses."

At that, Gretl jumped up from beside her and ran over to fling her arms around one of the carved stone horses that stood on either side of the gate.

"They're pegasuses, aren't they, Father?" she squealed. "Brgitta said that pegasuses were horses with wings."

"Well, Brigitta was right," the Captain smiled as he opened the gate and bent down to pick up his daughter. "A Pegasus is indeed a horse with wings. But, when there's more than one, you say pegasi."

"Pegasi," Gretl murmured, as if she was committing the word to memory for future situations. 'Probably to show off to her siblings,' Maria thought.

"It sounds like it should be pegasuses, but it's not," he laughed.

Gretl laughed back. "Pegasi sounds better anyway," she decided with a firm nod.

"But these aren't actually pegasi," continued the Captain. "They're hippocampi. Look closely; they have fish tails."

"They do!"

'Trust a sea captain to have a hippocampus statue,' Maria thought. She was surprised there wasn't a giant statue of a siren or Poseidon somewhere.

She was amazed at how gentle the Captain was with his children. Gretl had known barely anything about the horse statues, and in the last five minutes her father had not only explained the correct term for one group of mythical creatures, but pointed out that the statues were in fact a different mythical creature; all without sounding condescending or annoyed.

And Gretl had been nothing but happy the entire time.

She couldn't imagine anything like this happening on her first day. But the children were so happy to simply have their father in their lives at all that anything that wasn't whistles and orders was wonderful.

"What are…hippocampi…like?" the five year old asked slowly, clearly making sure she was saying the word correctly.

The Captain gently lowered his daughter back down onto the landing, then holding his hand out to her. "Why don't we go find out?"

Father and daughter turned to walk back up to the house, but had taken not even five steps before the Captain looked over his shoulder at Maria, asking:

"Are you coming, Fraulein?"

* * *

Five minutes later, Maria found herself sitting on a sofa in her employer's study. She was surprised he'd ask her to come along, rather than watching over the rest of her charges, and even more surprised to be allowed in here. She'd never been inside before; having met him in his office whenever they met to discuss the children. The only person she imagined would be less welcome in this room was one of the children, and yet here she was, with Gretl snuggled at her side.

Maybe things were changing even more than she thought. That thought made her smile.

The Captain ran his fingers over the books in one of the long, tall bookshelves on the wall next to where she sat. He finally stopped, pulling out a large leather-bound book, which he opened as he walked over to stand in front of the sofa.

"Here we go," he mused, finding the page and running his fingers down to the correct passage. "It is said that Poseidon, the god of the sea, drove a chariot pulled by giant creatures called hippocampi. Originating in Greece, the hippocampus has the head and forequarters of a horse and the hindquarters of a giant fish."

"Would you like to see a picture?" he asked his daughter with a smile.

Gretl nodded. She hopped up off the sofa and stood next to her father, who knelt down to show her the book. A puzzled look came over her face.

But the ones on the lake have wings," she said quietly, pointing at one of the illustrations in the book.

"Sometimes they don't have wings," explained the Captain, pointing to another picture.

Gretl smiled.

"The hippocampus lays large, semi-transparent through which the young may be seen," the Captain continued, reading the final line before he closed the book and returned it to its place on the shelf.

"What are the young called Father?" squealed Gretl, barely a breath after her father finished reading.

"Um…" the Captain fumbled. It was clear that that wasn't in the book, "…tadfoal. The babies are called tadfoal."

Gretl beamed at her father, who smiled back.

"Now, run on and play," he cocked his head toward the view of the grounds outside the window.

Knowing she'd also been dismissed, Maria followed her youngest charge out the door and back outside.

* * *

"I love what you told her today," Maria smiled at the Captain. Dinner had finished, she'd just finished putting the children to bed, and now they were in his office, for one of their regular meetings about the children.

Maria wondered if, after today, her employer might move the meetings into his study. He certainly seemed to trust her enough, given he'd let her inside earlier today.

'Maybe next time,' she thought wistfully. She knew that it was terribly improper, and even after today, unlikely to ever happen.

"And what was that, Fraulein?"

"'Sometimes they don't have wings'. As if they were real," she replied. "I would've though you wouldn't want your children to believe in fairytales."

"It's not fairytales, Fraulein," he smirked. "It's mythology."

"Mmm hmm," nodded Maria.

"And there _was_ an illustration where they didn't have wings," he added, almost defensively.

Maria was surprised that the Captain would feel the need to defend himself over something like this: an image of a mythical beast. She supposed that, despite how he'd acted with Gretl earlier today, he still wasn't used to being a father.

"Besides," he continued with a sigh. "The world is going to hell. I want them to be children as long as possible."

Another small smile appeared on Maria lips. Like the abolishment of the whistle signals and marches around the grounds, the Captain saying this showed how different things had been before she'd arrived. It hadn't even been a month, but it felt like a lifetime ago. And in a way it had been.

The Captain von Trapp she'd met three weeks ago, who clearly hadn't want his children to be children; the children who were nothing more than unhappy little marching machines, belonged to another world. A world that was, little by little, disappearing, creating a new world in its place.

"I couldn't agree more sir."

* * *

 **This is my fiftieth story! How on Earth did that happen? I've had this idea for a little while, and have written precious few stories about this period in the film, so I hope I can do it well, and that you all enjoy. I am going to be updating this story alongside my other current work-in-progress (but do not fear, I have not left this fandom for _Hamilton_ ), so there will be a little longer to wait for updates, but I hope they can be fairly regular.**

 **The description of the hippocampi is partly made up by me, just from what I've read, but also partly taken from the _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find The_ m textbook by Newt Scamander (a.k.a J.K. Rowling).**

 **Also, I really wish 'the children' would just be their own character under the character selection. It would make things easier for this story.**


	2. Ice Creams and Flowers

Maria turned her head up to the bright summer sunshine. It wasn't often that she was outside this early in the day, but the Captain had allowed the children to take a holiday from their lessons. Even on weekends this wasn't a common occurrence, but as time went by, he had given the children more free rein over their activities. Or more accurately, he had given _her_ more free rein over their activities.

'He really is starting to trust me,' she thought.

But Maria was still careful not to push the boundaries; she still made sure her charges were up early, and went to bed on time, and unless otherwise specified, made sure they studied in the mornings after breakfast.

"Fraulein Maria?"

She opened her eyes and looked down to see Marta tugging on her skirt the same way she had that first day.

"What is it?" she asked, bending down to look at the girl. Marta was the shyest out of all her charges, but as she had spent more time with the children, she had seen the girl's confidence grow significantly. Now that she thought about it, Marta tugging her dress for attention on the day she arrived had indicated either some level of confidence, or a plea for love.

Happily, both of these were growing every day.

"Do you think Father will like these?" Marta held up a small bunch of wildflowers.

"Of course he will," replied Maria. "Why do you ask?"

"Because he's a boy," Marta groaned, as if Maria hadn't caught on to some obvious fact. "Friedrich and Kurt don't like flowers."

Maria was just about to open her mouth to say something, when Marta continued: "And Father's stern. Why would he like flowers?"

Maria's heart twisted. These children were as unsure about how to be children as their father was about being a parent. They had all come a long way, but there was still a long way to go.

She looked the seven year old directly in the eye, and said simply: "Because they're from you."

* * *

"Captain," Maria ventured. It was just after lunch, and all the other children had run off outside, but she had stayed behind with Marta because of how nervous she was about talking to her father.

"Mm-hmm," the Captain looked up.

"Marta has something she'd like to say to you."

"Of course," There was no trace of anger or irritation in his voice as he looked from her to his daughter.

"What is it?" he smiled.

"I um…I…"

The girl's voice faltered before dying away completely. Helpless, she turned back to look at Maria.

"It's okay," Maria nodded.

She turned her gaze to her father, pulled the flowers out from behind her back and, without drawing breath, said: "TheseareforyouPapa."

The Captain smiled and took the nosegay from his daughter. "Thank you _schatzi_. They're beautiful. Marta's eyes brightened and she smiled her little gap-toothed smile.

"You know," he continued, eyeing the flowers more closely. "Pink was your mother's favourite colour."

"It was?" Marta breathed.

"Yes," nodded the Captain. He motioned to Marta, who raced right into her father's arms.

Even with the progress that had been made between both father and children since their argument by lake, Maria had barely heard the children's mother mentioned. She thought this moment might just be the most wonderful one since then.

* * *

"I've been thinking…" the Captain mused as he knelt down to tuck the covers around his daughter. Maria was on the other side of the room, doing the same with Gretl, though the five year old was half-asleep anyway.

The fact that he was joining her in this routine made Maria so happy. She could barely imagine any man taking part in such an activity, let alone the stern sea captain she had met at the beginning of the month. Especially when he had two very important guests to attend to.

She was, of course, thrilled that the Captain was spending so much time with his children, but, every once in a while, it did give her pause. After all, wasn't he meant to be marrying the Baroness before September? Shouldn't he be spending some amount of time with her, if she was going to be part of the family soon?

"Would you like to go visit Mirabell Gardens tomorrow?" he asked Marta. "Just the two of us?"

Maria knew he was whispering because he didn't want Gretl to overhear him and feel like she was being left out. She knew that, just like that day in the library, this was something he needed to do with Marta, and Marta only. And she was pleased he knew it too.

Marta began to nod, but then stopped.

"Can Fraulein Maria come with us?"

"Wouldn't you rather go with just your father?" Maria asked.

The girl had been so desperate to have a connection with her father, had been so worried that wasn't possible, that Maria was a little surprised that she wanted her to come along.

"No," Marta answered resolutely.

Maria smiled; if Marta wanted her to come along to Mirabell Gardens, of course she wasn't going to deny her that. She wouldn't deny any of her charges such a request. But, for a moment, she felt sad. Moments like this made her feel it would be just that much harder to leave these beautiful children when she had to return to the Abbey in September.

"If she wants to," the Captain answered. Maria was surprised he would say that. She knew he wouldn't want to upset Marta, but he had actually asked her if she wanted to come. He hadn't said yes simply for Marta's sake; he had asked her if she wanted to come.

Maria couldn't remember the last time anyone had ever _asked_ her if she wanted to do anything.

He looked up at her: "Fraulein?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

"We danced around here when we were here with Fraulein Maria," Marta squealed, when they arrived at the large fountain in the centre of the gardens with the statue of a Pegasus in the middle.

'That was a Pegasus,' Maria smiled to herself.

Marta had loved showing her father how she and her brothers and sisters had danced their way through the garden with her; and Maria couldn't help laughing when her employer had raced down under the archway with his daughter, or held her hand as they jumped up the stairs together.

For a moment she was worried he might reprimand her about his children's behaviour; but all he did was turn back to look at her and said: "Is that so?"

'Well, she didn't say we danced on the fountain,' thought Maria.

Marta hesitantly stepped onto the lip of the fountain. Maria wondered if she was just doing it slowly because her father was there; she certainly hadn't been this timid the day she was here with all her charges.

The Captain didn't even flinch when he saw his seven year old daughter stand up on the lip of the fountain. He stood by the side of the fountain, ready to catch her at a moment's notice, but didn't say anything.

They went and sat down in the rose garden, which captivated Marta as soon as she saw them. The grounds back at the villa were extensive and filled with flora Maria could have never imagine seeing before, even up on her mountain, but the Mirabell Gardens were something else.

The way the flowers were placed, in such beautiful designs in the dirt, sent Marta into raptures, and Maria had to restrain her from going and picking some.

Once again, the Captain didn't seem remotely upset about his daughter's lapse in control.

Maria wondered how hard it was for him, to not be stern with the children. She doubted it was easy; one couldn't change their behaviour that drastically so quickly. It wasn't just Marta who was hesitant about how to act around her father; the others were just as confused. Surely it would be no easier for their father, especially when he was so standoffish after all his years in the Navy and the death of his wife.

But everyone was trying their best, learning, and become more comfortable around each other every day.

Becoming a family more every day.

* * *

As they left the gardens later in the afternoon, they passed a vendor selling ice creams. As soon as Marta had seen him, she had begged her father for one, and before Maria could blink, the Captain had paid, and handed her a cone filled with a large scoop of chocolate ice cream, while Marta was already licking her strawberry treat.

The Captain had bought himself an ice cream too, and when they sat down to finish their treats, Maria couldn't eat.

"Fraulein, Maria," Marta cried. "Your ice cream's melting."

Maria looked down, and sure enough, she was about to spill chocolate all over her dress.

She had been so surprised about everything that has just happened that she didn't notice her ice cream was about to melt until Marta pointed it out. She gasped, and quickly started licking her ice cream; for some reason, she didn't want to dirty her dress in front of the Captain.

But all he did was laugh softly to himself.

* * *

"I'm glad you came with us today, Fraulein," the Captain said, looking at Maria from the other side of the room.

They were once again, in his office, talking over the progress with the children. Originally these meetings had been purely academic, but now they were about the children's happiness and general wellbeing as much as they were about their studies.

"Thank you sir," she responded quietly. "I'm glad I did too. I had a great time."

As she said it, she realised it was true. She had had a wonderful time in the gardens today. And not just because of Marta. Maria had found that, the more time went on, the more she enjoyed spending time with the Captain. She looked forward to these meetings much more than she had the first time they'd met to discuss the children; the night he'd returned home with his guests.

She was surprised he hadn't wanted her to stay at home with the other children. Especially when it was his idea to take Marta to Mirabell Gardens so they could have some time alone together. Surely he'd want her to look after the others – she was the governess after all – but he had asked her to come along with them.

And Maria had a feeling he had asked just as much for himself as he did for his daughter.

He'd been doing that a lot lately, now that she thought about it. Asking her if she wanted to come to the gardens. To come to his study that day with Gretl. He'd bought her an ice cream! He was treating her as if she were more than just the governess.

He was treating her as if she were a friend.

The relationship between them was changing just as much as his relationship with his children.


	3. Books, Dreams, and Broken Kings

**THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR A CERTAIN LERNER AND LOEWE MUSICAL**

* * *

Maria paused on her way up the stairs to the terrace. Brigitta was sitting at the cast iron table usually used by her father and his guests, who were nowhere to be seen right now, her nose buried in a book.

Deeply. She seemed very interested in this particular book.

"What are you reading?" Maria asked her.

" _The Once and Future King_ ," answered the girl. She didn't even look up.

"What's it about?" Maria had never heard of it. And Brigitta was so absorbed in it that the cover was hidden, giving her no more clues.

"King Arthur."

"Oh," Maria said. She'd vaguely heard of these stories. Camelot, Knights of the Round Table, but that was about it.

She was about to ask Brigitta if it was good, when she remembered: any book was wonderful to Brigitta, and she was a great way into the book, which was incredibly thick.

She didn't want to disturb her charge any more – Brigitta could be downright vicious when somebody interrupted her reading – so she simply turned and headed inside the house.

* * *

"So Arthur inadvertently caused the downfall of his own kingdom?" Brigitta asked her father; though it was far more a statement than a question. Having finished reading it, she had brought the book back to her father, who seemed to be on his way out of his study.

"Yes," her father nodded.

"How?" Maria asked. She knew she should not be eavesdropping, but coming down from upstairs, she had overheard snatches of the conversation, and she couldn't help being curious.

"He spent the majority of the book trying to establish a judiciary system," explained Brigitta, looking up at her. "So when Guinevere was found with Sir Lancelot, it was the court that got to decide her fate."

"Oh," she asked. "What did they choose?"

"She was sentenced to the flame," continued the girl. Maria marvelled at just how much this girl had to say about books. Brigitta, though by no means shy, was one of the less talkative of her charges, but when the topic of discussion was books, she could talk your ear off.

"Arthur got to choose when she would be burned. So he chose sunrise, in the hopes that Lancelot could save her."

"Did he?"

Maybe it was simply because it was Brigitta, but Maria didn't think she had ever been this interested in a book. Mostly she just read her Bible, after all it was essentially the required text of a Bride of Christ; the Inspired Word of God. But on the rare occasions she read something else, it was usually a classic from her childhood. Nothing like this. And yet, for whatever reason, she desperately wanted to pick it up.

Maybe she could borrow it now that Brigitta had finished.

"Yes. But it wasn't a happy ending. Lancelot had to go into hiding, Guinevere was forced to become a nun…"

There was a pregnant pause. Maria knew all eyes were on her.

Now that she thought about it, she was doubting her desire to be a nun. _No, no_ , she wasn't; but she had just found so much happiness here at the von Trapp villa.

Happiness she had never found anywhere else.

"…and Arthur's left alone, with Camelot in ruins."

Brigitta's voice brought Maria out of her reverie. How long had she been thinking? How could one have so many thoughts in such a short period of time?

Maybe reading the book _wasn't_ such a good idea.

"Yes, T.H. White is a very good author," the Captain said. "But there are many, many versions of the Arthurian legend. I enjoy _The Once and Future King_ , but personally, I am more partial to Thomas Malory's _Le Morte D'Arthur_ myself."

"The Death of Arthur?" Brigitta asked.

Maria didn't know her charge could speak French. 'Charges,' she corrected herself. Brigitta might be the smartest of the children, but the others were in no way unintelligent. If Brigitta knew French it was likely they did too.

"Yes," nodded her father. "But at times it can be very hard to read. It was published in 1485."

Brigitta went silent for a moment looking off at nothing in particular. "I'm not sure I'm ready to read that," she admitted.

Maria could see the girl's spirits had dampened, even if only very, very slightly. She knew Brigitta wanted to read every book she could get her hands on; and admitting that she couldn't was saddening to her.

"Well…" mused the Captain. "There was a new manuscript found just a few years ago. Did you want to try that?"

Brigitta nodded eagerly, the sparkle returning to her eyes.

"Would you like to go to the bookshop tomorrow?"

The ten year old nodded again.

* * *

Brigitta was grinning from ear to ear when she and her father walked through the door the next afternoon. She was clutching a big volume to her chest, and Maria had a feeling that the girl was itching to be free to sit down and read.

She was just as pleased to see the Captain smiling down at his middle daughter. He too seemed to have had a very enjoyable afternoon.

Seeing the Captain's interactions with his children was a sight which made Maria smile more and more every day. He was still no expert on how to be a father, but, at the same time, the children had no idea how to act like children. All of them had grown up so quickly after their mother had died; even little Gretl, who had been only a month old at the time.

Slowly that was changing. It wasn't just repairing their relationships; it was building them from the ground up, creating something entirely new.

"I take it you were successful, then?" she asked.

"Very much so, Fraulein," Brigitta said, before turning to look at the Captain. " _Dankeschön_ , Father."

"You're welcome, my little bookworm," her father replied. He gave her another head before cocking his head to one side, clearly saying: _go one, go read the book._

* * *

By the end of the day it was clear to Maria that she had been right. Brigitta had almost finished the book. She had barely put it down; only at dinner, and she'd buried her nose in it as soon as she'd left the table.

Maria wondered if she was invested as she was because her father had bought the book for her; a memory that likely did not exist for anything else she'd read.

It was funny how many different ways people could bond.

"Are you enjoying it?" she whispered from the doorway of the girls' bedroom. She didn't want to wake Louisa, who was already asleep, snoring slightly. She'd seen the sliver of light coming from their room, and knew she had to double check on her little bookworm.

"That's good," she smiled. "But it's time to go to bed now, Brigitta."

"Please Fraulein," she begged. "Please."

"No," Maria stayed firm, despite wanting to cave and let the girl stay up until she'd finished. "But you can read it in the morning during lessons, okay?" She knew the girl would be finished with her set work early enough to have time leftover to read. She'd probably finish it.

"Okay."

Brigitta seemed satisfied enough, but she was still slow to put the book down on her bedside table before she turned off the light.

Maria closed the door behind her. _Her_ little bookworm.

Where had that come from?

* * *

After the children had all been put to bed, Maria entered the study to find the Captain running his fingers across the books on his shelves, much the way he had done when he was finding that book for Gretl about hippocampi. He was holding a book Maria very much suspected was _The Once and Future King_ in his other hand.

"Wordsworth, Whitman….." he mused to himself. "Ah, here we are; White." He slid the book onto the correct place on the shelf.

"You organise your bookshelves alphabetically?" she blurted, just as he was turning around.

"Yes," he smirked at her. He didn't seem annoyed at all by her outburst at all. "Why?"

"Nothing," Maria answered hurriedly. In addition to wanting to apologise for her exclamation, she felt she needed to get the words out as quickly as possible. "I'm not surprised, I just….I don't know…"

Now that she had paused to take a breath and collect her thoughts, Maria realised she didn't know what she wanted to say. That had been happening a lot recently. It wasn't simply that the Captain had moved their meetings from his office to his study; she felt _something_ when she was around her. Something she couldn't describe, even to herself.

Whatever it was, it made her forget what she was trying to say.

"1485?" she said finally, receiving just a nod from her employer.

"Why did you want to read it, then?"

"I didn't have much choice Fraulein," said the Captain. "The newer translation wasn't around when I was a child, so my governess forced my sister and me to read the original."

"You have a –?"

"Governess?" he interrupted. "Yes, of course I did Fraulein. Most children do. Whether or not they run them off is a different matter."

"I was going to say sister," Maria replied.

"Oh," he said softly. She'd caught him off-guard. "Yes I do."

He reached over and pulled a small brass frame, which he then passed to her. Inside was a photograph of a woman with long, pale blonde hair and the same eyes as her brother. Maria realised she was a mirror image of what Gretl would look like when she was the same age as her father.

If she had stumbled upon this photograph on her own, she would have assumed it was the Captain's late wife.

Why would he show her this? Was it just because she asked? Somehow, Maria didn't think so. It was just like everything before: the ice cream, the visit to the gardens, and the change of their meetings from the office to the study. Why she had been allowed in the study in the first place.

These thoughts; the doubts she had been having earlier, the reason she never seemed to form coherent sentences…

She now realised, they all had to do with the Captain.

* * *

 ** _The Once and Future King_ wasn't published in its entirety until 1958, but I wanted to use it, because of Julie. As such the plot mentioned is likely closer to _Camelot_ than the actual novel. And it's hardly the first anachronism in TSOM.**


	4. Acorns, Strudels, and Painting Supplies

Maria laughed as she watched Kurt jump from the tree. It wasn't high, and he couldn't have landed on anything but the grass, so she had no reason to worry. She loved seeing these children playing and having fun together.

She loved these children. She couldn't deny that any longer.

"You really like climbing the trees, don't you?" the Captain smiled at his youngest son. She hadn't even heard him approach.

"Yes," said Kurt. "Fraulein Maria taught us to…"

His voice trailed off, and Maria thought he might burst into tears.

"What is it?" his father asked gently.

"I'm sorry Father," sobbed the boy. "That day you came home…well, we were climbing trees…"

Maria was confused and sad at the same time. She had no idea what could be making Kurt react this way, but she knew he was easily hurt, and years of being brushed aside by his father had resulted in fragility hidden beneath his veneer of strength.

Sometimes it cracked.

Maria wondered if he was hesitant about saying too much. She realised he didn't know what had transpired in the argument between her and his father by the lake that day; didn't know that the Captain knew they had been climbing trees.

But she didn't have the opportunity to say anything, as the Captain placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"It's okay."

Kurt seemed to relax, and smiled, and continued: "and I was a bit bored, so I picked up some acorns, and…"

His voice had trailed off again, and Maria wondered what he was trying to say. To her, nothing had been out of the ordinary that day. Obviously the Captain had issues about his children climbing trees, but to her it was just something children did.

And as the Captain had re-evaluated his priorities, tree climbing had become an acceptable pastime; and finally the children were starting to realise they could be children all the time, and not just when their father wasn't around.

So what on Earth could make Kurt so nervous, given the new relationship he now had with his father?

"…I tried to drill them into the backseat of the cars that drove by."

Maria didn't know if she wanted to gasp in surprise or burst out laughing. She never thought her charges would do such a thing. 'But,' she thought, 'it was a harmless little prank.' Louisa was the mastermind behind all the tricks the children played on their governesses – though there hadn't been any since the pinecone at dinner that first night – but Kurt could be just as mischievous.

And he would've told her if he'd hit anyone, that much she was sure of.

Kurt closed his eyes, as if he expected a blow from his father, but all the Captain did was look up at her.

"Fraulein," he smirked. He didn't seem nearly as angry as Maria thought he would be. She loved how much he was changing, the effect that was having on the family, but sometimes she wondered if she knew this man at all.

Suddenly she wondered why that mattered. She didn't need to know her employer on such a personal level. The children were her charges, so with them it was slightly different.

Or was it? She knew that the relationship she had with the children was nothing like the relationships they'd had with any of their previous governesses.

But then again, the family only needed a governess until September. When the summer ended she would return to the Abbey and take her vows. So why did her relationship to the children matter at all. It was temporary; it always had been.

"You let this happen?"

"I had no idea," she answered honestly. She was glad that the Captain only took a moment to consider her answer before nodding.

"So did you do it?" the Captain asked, turning back to his son.

"Get an acorn into the car?" he continued at Kurt's puzzled look.

Kurt shook his head, but not before his mouth had dropped open in shock. Maria also had to really fight to stop her own mouth from hitting the ground. She would not have been more surprised if the Captain had asked Kurt if he'd been climbing the trees that day wearing nothing but his underwear.

No, she did not know this man at all. But she didn't mind; as long as the children did, that was all that mattered.

* * *

"Really?" Kurt asked, amazed at the story his father had just finished telling him. "You actually did that?"

"Yes," the Captain tried to sound guilty, but Maria could tell what he was really trying to do was not to laugh.

He turned to her. "I don't know where they could've gotten it from?" he said, feigning innocence.

Maria tried to keep from giggling as she answered: "Neither do I."

She had been just as surprised as Kurt to learn about the Captain's childhood pranks, especially the one he'd just told his son: the time he had convinced his sister to use her art supplies to paint the pages of their governess' book, so it was no longer readable.

She had already realised she was the aberration as far as governesses went, but she would never have imagined Captain von Trapp pulling such a prank; even when he was ten.

"This is hardly the first time you've caused trouble my boy," chuckled the Captain, his attention back on his son. "You've been doing it all your life."

"I have?" asked Kurt.

Maria wondered if this had been the case with all her charges. Marta and Gretl likely would not have had the opportunity, still being so young when their mother passed away, but Maria could easily see the others causing a rumpus when they were younger.

"Oh yes," the Captain mused. "When you were about four years old, you used to steal all the raisins from the strudels when your mother was baking."

"I did?"

Somehow, Maria wasn't surprised. And given the tone of Kurt's voice, he wasn't either. Of course Kurt's tomfoolery would centre around food. He was always the first person to start eating at mealtimes, and the first to say yes to second helpings or leftovers.

"Yes. Half the time she didn't even notice until she took it out of the oven," his father confirmed with a chuckle. "Though this was back when Brigitta would pick the raisins out of her strudel anyway. So I guess you did her a service."

Everyone laughed.

"Mama used to bake?" Kurt asked softly. With a pang Maria realised that even he had very few memories of his mother.

"Oh yes," the Captain replied. For a moment he looked off, as though he was far away, in a place before his wife had died, and when he spoke, his voice was soft. "Your mother is definitely where you got your appetite from. She would let the cook do most of the meals, but she insisted on doing the pastries and sweets herself."

For a moment Maria wondered if she had joined her employer in that far-off place. In her mind's eye she could see the Captain's wife, baking a dessert of some kind, surrounded by her children, the Captain watching from the doorway…

She wished she could've had a family like that.

"Maybe we can see if we can find one of her old recipes," the Captain's voice brought her out of her reverie. "I'm sure your brother and sisters and Fraulein Maria would love to help you make something."

"Oh, would you, Fraulein?" Kurt turned to her, his face imploring.

How could she say no to that face? Every time she saw him she wanted to pinch his cheeks or push his chin, just to see that cheeky grin; the one he'd given her that first night during the thunderstorm.

"Of course I would," she answered.

* * *

"I find it hard to believe you would paint the pages of a book," Maria told the Captain. "Let alone your governess' book."

They were sitting in his study again, talking over recent events, such as Kurt's little prank that day, and their decision to try out one of the Captain's wife's recipes, after finding her old book that afternoon. But, like so often, they had changed topics.

"Really?" asked the Captain, clearly amused. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I was Kurt's age once."

Maria nodded, remembering what he'd told her about his governess the other day. They met up at night to talk about the children. Or at least, they had. How had these meetings become focused more on each other than them?

She was always worried that she was getting too close to employer; she was still the governess. But at the same time, she wanted it to be this way. She'd had so few friends in her life.

"Did you ever play any tricks when you were younger, Fraulein?" he continued.

Maria didn't know what to say. She considered the Captain a friend. She trusted him, and it seemed like he trusted her, but she didn't think she'd ever be able to talk about this with him. With anyone.

But she had to say _something_. She wanted to say something.

"No," she shook her head. "I couldn't. If I had I would've been…well…it doesn't matter."

"What?"

"Punished," she said slowly. Yes, that was the best word. But she couldn't stop herself from adding: "More so than usual."

"Oh," he replied, almost in a whisper. "Fraulein, I'm so sorry,"

"It's alright."

It wasn't, but she couldn't say that, even though it was the truth. She didn't think she would ever fully recover from those moments in her childhood; but there was nothing the Captain could do, and now, no reason for him to do anything. She was as safe as she could be, and aside from one permanent reminder on her back, all the scars were mental.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

 **For those who don't know, Duane Chase really did try to drill acorns into the cars that drove past while they were filming that scene in the trees; and I love including little Easter Eggs of real life or behind-the-scenes in my stories.**

 **Duane actually succeeded.**


	5. Bugs and Biology

Maria groaned. There on the windowsill was a glass jar, containing some sort of amphibian.

"Louisa," she shouted. She placed the book she was holding down on the bedside table. Brigitta had finished reading it that morning, so she had brought it up to the bedroom the two middle girls shared to return it to their bookshelf.

Of course, seeing the creature had distracted her.

Granted, it was in a jar, and as such, did not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon; but Maria knew the Captain wouldn't like it.

 _She_ didn't like it. That first night Liesl had told her Louisa could climb the trellis outside the governess' bedroom, holding a jar of spiders at the same time. She had since learned that the girl could also do it with a toad in each hand.

It wasn't even in the schoolroom, where _maybe_ it could be put to some use, but right next to the girl's bed.

"Yes Fraulein," the thirteen year old asked, running into the room. "What is it?"

'What indeed,' thought Maria.

"This," she pointed to the jar.

"It's a frog," Louisa replied, as if it was obvious, though Maria knew very well the girl knew that wasn't what she was asking. "I found it out by the lake."

"I see," Maria nodded. "You know it shouldn't be in here, don't you?"

Louisa hung her head and nodded, not meeting her governess' gaze.

"Do you think you could put it somewhere else?" Maria asked, handing her the jar.

Louisa just nodded again, slowly walking toward the door.

"Wait…" Maria's mind went back to the thought she'd had before Louisa had walked in. "You'll have to ask your father, but maybe you could take it to the schoolroom. Maybe we could learn a little about frogs."

Louisa beamed, dashing out of the room without another word.

Maria sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

"Father said yes!" Louisa cried happily when Maria arrived at the dining room – late as usual – for lunch.

Maria had never seen the girl so excited. Louisa was definitely the most stubborn of her charges, and she still didn't know her as well as she knew the others, who all seemed almost as excited as she did, so Maria thought, 'this is a start.'

"I really don't see why they should be studying wildlife, darling," the Baroness said to the Captain airily. "Let alone bringing them into the house."

"I think the children should have a well-rounded knowledge of everything, Elsa," the Captain replied, before he turned to look at her. "Don't you agree Fraulein?"

Maria bowed her head, convinced she was blushing. The room was silent for a moment, and Maria didn't dare look up, knowing everybody was looking at her.

"Yes, I do," she finally answered quietly. She still didn't meet his eyes.

They hadn't yet said Grace; maybe now was a good time to ask the Lord to stop her cheeks from colouring every time she was in the same room as her employer.

* * *

At the sound of footsteps, Maria looked up from the book she was reading with Gretl, to see her employer standing in the doorway. The children had abandoned their work and were rushing to greet their father.

"Captain," she was surprised. "I wasn't expecting you to come up here."

"I thought maybe I could help with the lesson," he smirked.

She had never seen the Captain up here before. Although he had agreed about playtime, he was still adamant that the children keep up their studies. He had taught the children things before, in the weeks since he returned home from Vienna, but she had taken charge of everything inside the classroom.

"Are you still studying the frog?" he asked Louisa.

The girl nodded. She hadn't jumped up when her father entered the room; her eyes still glued on the jar containing the frog.

Since that first day, they had all learnt about the life cycle of frogs, from their days as tadpoles all the way to when they were fully grown, their diet, and the certain environments they inhabited. It had been a lot of fun, but the other children had lost interest in the amphibian several days ago. It still captivated Louisa however, who would ponder over it, or simply sit and observe the creature, whenever she'd finished her other set work. Maria had noticed she'd been finishing her other studies much quicker than before.

"I thought so," the Captain continued. "That's why I brought this."

It was then that Maria noticed the large book in his arms, and saw that he'd tabbed a page about halfway through.

"It's a marsh frog, or scientifically, _pelophylax ridibundus_ ," he read aloud from the book. It reminded Maria very much of the day he'd told Gretl about hippocampi.

Louisa's eyes lit up as her father continued to teach her about the frog. She seemed more excited every day she spent looking at the amphibian.

"Would you like to borrow the book?" the Captain asked.

"Can I?"

Maria knew Louisa didn't have much interest in reading anything. She'd read the books assigned to her for lessons without complaining, but beyond that, Maria wondered if she'd ever seen a book in the girl's hands.

She had no interest in romance novels like Liesl, nor did she have the desire to pick up every book she came into contact with, like Brigitta. Of course the Captain had to approve all his children's reading material, but Maria didn't think that was what was holding Louisa back from picking up a novel.

But maybe novels didn't interest her. Maybe this was the perfect book for her, and the idea of seeing the thirteen year old read was one Maria liked.

* * *

"I'm so glad she's enjoying the book you gave her," Maria said.

"It's thanks to you," replied the Captain. "It wouldn't have happened had you not suggested that the children study frogs. All the other governesses would have screamed and thrown the jar out the window. Most _people_ would've done that."

Maria thought back to when she first arrived at the villa. She hadn't noticed the frog until she'd started following Frau Schmidt up the stairs, and felt something squirming in her pocket.

She'd screamed then.

"Didn't they put a frog in your pocket the day you arrived?"

It was like he was reading her mind. "Yes." She still didn't know who had put it in there.

Louisa had been reading almost as fast as Brigitta had, flying through the book at an alarming place. Now, she not only knew about marsh frogs, but also fire-bellied toads, midwife toads, pool frogs, and a great many newts and salamanders.

Maria wasn't sure what would happen when she finished the book. But surely the Captain had something similar in his vast library. Two entire walls of his study were filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves.

And even if he didn't physically have another book to give his daughter, she knew he would be more than happy to teach her all she wanted to know himself.

This certainly seemed to be the way to get through to Louisa. Unfortunately Maria liked frogs and other such creatures about as much as she liked broken bones or fireworks; in that she did not like them at all. Broken bones hurt her body, fireworks hurt her ears, and the slimy creatures Louisa enjoyed so much made her stomach turn. But she thought, somehow, it could make her closer to Louisa.

While Captain was the girl's father, and her time at the villa was always going to be temporary, she wanted to be closer to the girl.

She would make it work. This _would_ make her closer to Louisa.

If she was taking a leaf out of her employer's book, that meant he was growing closer to the girl. And, as close as she wanted to be with Louisa, her relationship with her father was so much more important.

"So am I," said the Captain. "She always loved her creepy-crawlies. Even more than the boys did. I guess I'm not really surprised now that I think about it."

Maria laughed. He was right. Maybe Liesl had simply been giving her some advice that first night during the thunderstorm.

"Louisa was always the hardest to read," he continued, ponderingly.

"Louisa wants to have a good time," she told him. "You've just got to let her have a good time."

"You just have to let them all have a good time," she added after a moment.

"I know," he was sincere. "I'm trying."

Maria smiled. He was succeeding.


	6. Injuries and Identity

Maria saw all the children huddled together in a sort of circle near the gazebo. She could tell they were whispering, but didn't know what they were saying.

Being a naturally curious person in addition to their governess, she approached, and they parted silently – she didn't even have to say anything – to reveal Friedrich sitting on the ground, clutching his ankle.

"Liesl, could you…?" Maria asked the girl, cocking her head towards the house. Immediately, the sixteen year old nodded, and ushered her siblings off in that direction.

"You shouldn't have done that," Friedrich said blankly, his eyes still on his ankle.

"What happened?" she asked, ignoring the boy's question.

"I was trying to move the bench closer to the tree. Our ball got wedged between a couple of the branches. **"** Friedrich replied. Maria noted he didn't sound in any way upset or pained. His expression definitely indicated he was hurt, but even with that, he appeared rather detached.

"You didn't let someone help you?" she asked. "Or ask somebody else to get the ball? Or even just climb the tree?"

"I'm fourteen," he protested, indignant. "You once told me I was almost a man."

A smile tugged at Maria's lips as she remembered that. But now, she wondered if he had taken things a little too far. She knew as well as anyone that her charges were very adept at climbing, whether it be the trees around the grounds, or the trellis outside her bedroom window. She wondered why Friedrich has felt the need totry use the bench to retrieve the ball.

"I can do this on my own."

"Maybe," she sighed. "But not this time. You need to have this looked at."

* * *

The Captain was standing in the foyer when Maria and Friedrich entered the house. The boy was limping, but Maria could tell he was trying to hide the pain. The others must have told their father what had happened, because he looked furious.

"Friedrich Georg von Trapp," he screamed. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Maria mouth dropped open. It had been a long time since she'd heard anyone curse; not since she ran away from her uncle to go to Vienna. And for the cold exterior she had seen from the Captain, she would never have thought he would curse.

'Of course he does,' she said to herself. 'He's a sailor.' And she knew he was cursing because he was scared for his son, more than he was angry at him. She found that made it harder to be upset.

Friedrich had not been like this when the Captain was away in Vienna. Whether or not it was intentional, he was being as closed-off and stubborn as his father.

"Why would you do such a thing?"

"I just want to make you proud Father," Friedrich answered meekly. He would not meet his father's eyes. "To be a man like you."

The Captain sighed, and moved over to pat his son's shoulder comfortingly. Maria wondered if he was remembering their argument by the lake that day, where, almost verbatim, she had told him the same thing.

"You do make me proud," he said. "And you will continue to. But I don't want to see you hurt yourself trying to do that."

"Franz," he turned around and called out to the butler. "Could you call Dr. Loewe?"

"Yes sir," the sour-faced man answered before scurrying out of the room just as quickly as he had entered.

* * *

"I'm sorry Father," Friedrich said. He had dropped his mask and relaxed a little since the doctor had left; though Maria could tell that, even if he was no longer trying to hide his weakness from his father, he did not like having to sit quietly on the sofa.

The doctor had come, and diagnosed that Friedrich had merely pulled a muscle, and that all he needed was a few days off his feet, and that by the end of the week he would be fine.

"It's alright," sighed the Captain. "You were forced to grow up too quickly after your mother died. You all were."

Friedrich just nodded.

"It's okay to feel upset. And you don't have to be brave all the time," continued his father. "You can just be yourself."

"But, I don't know if I know who I am." The boy finally seemed to break, his words coming out as a choked sob. But as much as she hated seeing Friedrich in pain, Maria was happy to hear some emotion in his voice. Still, she wondered what had happened to that laughing boy who grinned every time he saw her.

It almost seemed like, despite the new connections the Captain had formed, and was continuing to form with his children, his eldest son had, in some ways, actually regressed from the day Maria first met him.

She watched the Captain; he looked crestfallen. She wondered what he was thinking. That this was what had happened to his son? The boy had needed his father's confidence and guidance to be a man – the only thing he had ever really wanted – so much so, that he'd lost his identity, and now no longer knew what he wanted?

"Not everyone knows what they want to do with their life," he said gently. "Even me; I am still figuring a lot of things out. Don't be discouraged. You still have plenty of time to work out what you want to do with life."

"Alright," Friedrich said slowly. He no longer looked upset, but he still wouldn't smile. "Thank you Father."

"You're welcome," he said. Then, with an air of finality, and a playful cock of his head, he added: "Now, why don't you go upstairs and rest?"

* * *

As she closed the door to the boys' room, Maria thought back to the conversation she'd witnessed between the Captain and Friedrich. She had wanted to add something; maybe about she was the opposite of her employer; show the boy it was also okay to know what you wanted. After all, she was following through with the plan she'd had since she was Marta's age.

But she didn't think that would be at all helpful for Friedrich right now. Or maybe she just wanted to avoid talking about her intentions to become a nun.

To avoid thinking about them.

* * *

"I'm glad Friedrich's going to be alright," Maria said.

"So am I, Fraulein," the Captain replied. "More than I can say."

Maria knew he cared about his children so much, and she knew he always had, even if he had not been able to show it until a few weeks ago.

She found herself looking to her meetings with the Captain more and more every day. He really was a kind and caring man, despite what she'd first thought of him; and as the weeks had gone past, she realised that she loved his children just as much as he did, and in turn loved seeing them all come closer together.

"I love seeing how much he looks up to you," she added. "How much he wants to be like you, and make you proud."

"Yes," he replied. "I believe you told me that the day I came home."

Maria nodded. "And I think it's wonderful you're teaching him everything about being a man," she added, mentally blushing about how she, as a nun in training, could say such a thing, or have any experience in the subject.

"Weakness is not a sin," he told her confidently. "If anything, I think one's flaws make them stronger."

She was speechless for a moment. Was Captain von Trapp – _the_ Captain von Trapp – admitting that people were free to feel the way they needed to, even if that went against his code of order and authoritarianism? Granted, that's exactly what she had meant went she said 'everything', but hearing her employer say it was still unexpected.

Maria believed he was indeed genuine; and if that was the case, he, independent of his children, had come further than she would've imagined.

"I wouldn't think you would believe that," said Maria. "I thought it was discipline that resulted in strength."

"I used to think that," he said. "But now I realise acknowledging the truth is just as effective."

"Liesl and Friedrich definitely suffered the most, with their memories of Agathe," he said, though it was more a musing than an actual response; like he was talking to himself, or once again off in that faraway world she had no access too.

Still, she could help gasp. For a moment she was worried the Captain had noticed. She'd never heard the late Baroness' name mentioned, even from the children.

It astonished her even more than when she heard him curse earlier.

"Friedrich probably most of all, actually," he continued. "They all lost their mother, but Friedrich lost his only role model. The girls could get advice from each other, or even Frau Schmidt, but Friedrich didn't have anyone like that, and Kurt was too young."

"Maybe it's worse because you were still here," ventured Maria. She worried the comment might be overstepping her boundaries, but she felt it needed to be said anyway.

"You're absolutely right, Fraulein," he said. He looked guilty. "It was. I hope I can help Friedrich discover who he really is."

"I hope so too," she said, before adding quietly: "I don't have many memories of my father."

She paused. "And almost none of my mother."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she replied, her voice still soft, averting her gaze from him. "It was a long time ago."

"But you're still here," she continued, looking back up at him. She wanted to change the subject before either of them said any more and it got awkward for her. "Just don't forget that."

"I won't Fraulein," he said, smiling at her softly. "You're the one that helped me to remember."


	7. Sashes and the Future

**The conversation between Liesl and Maria happened in the past; I just wanted to say that, in case anyone got confused.**

* * *

Maria smiled as she watched the girls twirl about in their new dresses. Even Louisa looked enthusiastic. To a degree anyway; she wasn't complaining or fidgeting with her dress, and she didn't have a scowl on her face.

It was finally time. Tomorrow would be the Baroness' grand and glorious party, and, in some ways, a debut for all the children; the first time anyone outside of their father, their Uncle Max, the governesses, and the rest of the staff had really seen them since the late Baroness von Trapp had died.

The children had all received party clothes; most of which had been purchased at the Baroness' insistence, but the middle girls had found dresses in the attic from past galas that the Captain had deemed appropriate.

Maybe that was why Louisa wasn't fussing with her dress.

Maria had been teaching the children for the past several days, readying them for the performance they would be doing at the party to say goodnight to their father's guests.

The children had continually pushed their father out of the room whenever he tried to sneak a peek during their practise sessions. That was often, but he always left graciously and good-natured.

Liesl had been particularly interested in this event. The party as a whole actually, but the performance specifically. Maria had worried that it might make her feel like a child, when she knew so badly how Liesl wanted to be treated as the young woman she had become, but it seemed the effect was quite the opposite.

"I know Father won't let me stay at the party Fraulein," she'd told her. "Why should I push my luck? Isn't it more grown-up to accept such things and win respect by not complaining?"

Maria was awed by the sixteen year old's wisdom.

"Yes," she said. "That sounds very mature. But are you sure you don't even want to try?"

The young woman nodded. "You've helped us so much Fraulein," she said. "I know that Father will let me attend parties like this one day. Because of you."

Maria looked away. She knew what Liesl meant, but surely it wasn't simply her doing. She couldn't have changed _that_ much.

Could she?

"Besides," continued Liesl. "I don't even know if I'd be ready. I wouldn't want to make any mistakes and embarrass myself. Or Father."

"But deep down, you'd still like to see what it's like, don't you?" Maria asked gently.

"Yes."

"Well, in that case…" Maria had smiled, her eyes sparklingly mischievously. She'd just had a brilliant idea. "I think I know what you should do during the song…"

* * *

And now, here they were. The dress rehearsal, for all intents and purposes. They were practising in the ballroom; somebody – most likely the Captain – would see them if they practised by the stairs.

Once again Liesl had loved Maria's idea for her, and Maria could see how she had changed since the day her father returned home.

She had had to take care of all her younger siblings after she'd lost her mother. It was sometimes hard to remember she was only sixteen; she acted wise beyond her years, but there were times when she couldn't be a young woman, and still had to be a girl.

Or, like right now, wanted to be a girl.

She was just as invested in the performance as little Gretl. Maria could tell she was genuinely enjoying herself, spinning around and waving along with her brothers and sisters. She never looked like anything was too juvenile for her, and not once did she complain; not even when she had to pick up Gretl and carry her away – upstairs and off to bed tomorrow night.

Even when she was acting carefree she was still a role model for the others.

Maria hadn't been this free-spirited at Liesl's age, though her childhood had been just as hard as the children's.

In some ways, it had been worse. In others it had not. But regardless, her charges' optimism never failed to amaze her.

* * *

Maria was just herding her charges out of the ballroom and towards the dining room for lunch – given the proximity of the party they had been permitted to spend their mornings rehearsing – when the Captain appeared, seemingly out of thin air.

Maria wondered if this had any connection to his years in the Navy. You needed stealth to prevail underwater after all. It would make sense that it had carried over to his everyday life, especially when so many other things had.

She thought about asking him, but he clearly wanted to speak with his daughter.

Maria hurried the others into the dining room, but was still able to see what was happening in the parlour.

"Liesl," said the Captain.

"Yes Father?" she seemed somewhat surprised. For all the bonds formed between Maria's charges and their father, Liesl seemed to be the hardest for the Captain to connect to, and Liesl knew that.

He could be a role model for Friedrich and Kurt, and understand them in a way he couldn't with the girls, he could relate to Brigitta's appetite for reading and Louisa's interest in bugs of all kinds, and the little ones were quite possibly the easiest to become closer to; they just wanted to be loved.

But Liesl was sixteen; at the age when it would be hard for any girl to connect with her father, let alone such an austere, aloof man as the Captain, who had only just re-entered her life. He couldn't keep treating her like a child; he'd have a mutiny on his hands, but he didn't know how to treat her like a young woman.

Maria could tell he felt awkward as he spoke to his daughter.

"I wanted to give you this." He held up a wide sash, the colour of daffodils, with a small bunch of edelweiss pinned at one end.

Then, to her great astonishment, the Captain took the sash and tied it up; the edelweiss sitting right on top of the bow. He hadn't even had to remove the flowers.

Just like his children, this man was full of hidden talents, and Maria found herself constantly surprised.

The flowers looked so lifelike; the only reason Maria knew they weren't real was because they were part of the sash.

"Thank you Father," she breathed, taking the sash in her hands.

"I thought you might like to wear it tomorrow night."

"I would," Liesl replied. "It will go perfectly with my dress."

The Captain smiled, and after a rather long moment of silence, spoke again.

"And this," he drew out a small velvet jewellery box, "was your mother's."

Liesl gasped when she opened the box. Inside was a gold necklace.

Maria sighed. She had a gold locket that her mother had given her before she died. She never wore it, but she kept it because it was the only tangible memory she had of the mother she never knew.

Her eyes brimming with tears, Liesl thanked her father once more.

* * *

"Captain, could I talk to you something?" Maria asked as she opened the study door. She could hardly believe she was here; she didn't have a meeting with her employer, but had somehow summoned enough courage to seek him out on her own, while he was in his study.

"Of course Fraulein," he replied kindly, turning in his chair so he was no longer facing his desk. "What is it?"

"It's about the party tomorrow," she began, hesitant. "And Liesl."

"Of course."

Maria breathed deeply. She was very nervous about saying this, especially given the lengths they'd taken to ensure their performance was a surprise for their father as much as it was for the guests, but she knew she needed to do this.

So she explained the performance to the Captain, about how each child would personally say goodbye, and how Liesl's departure would come in the form of asking for some champagne.

"Liesl would love to attend the party, but she also is rather nervous about the prospect. She's not ready just yet," she told him. "So could you deny her request?"

"Yes of course," he answered, "though you needn't have worried Fraulein," he was smirking now. "That is what I would've said anyway."

Maria didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent.

The Captain sighed: "She's much too young, I'm afraid."

Maria tried not to feel upset on her charge's behalf, especially since Liesl had asked her to do this.

"I'm sorry Fraulein," he added quickly, chastened. "I know she would like that very much, even if she's nervous, and I know you would like that for her, but…"

"It's alright sir," Maria said quickly. "You're her father. I understand."

"To be honest," he replied. "In a way, I would like for her to stay. She's a wonderful young woman; but I don't know if I'm ready for something like this. And I feel girls – Liesl's age or not – should want more in their lives than just parties and dances."

"Of course," she replied. "I agree." She realised she was glad he hadn't commented on the fact that Liesl farewell would be what it was.

"Thank you for telling me, Ma –," the Captain stopped, coughing as though to clear his throat. "Fraulein. Yes, thank you."

Maria wasn't able to reply. She wondered if she'd heard him correctly. He hadn't appeared to be coughing out of sickness, or a lump in his throat, and he wasn't coughing anymore.

Had he been about to call her by her Christian name?

Why would he do that? And more importantly, why did she wish he had?

She had been sent to the von Trapps on a mission. She thought it was to prepare the children for a new mother, but maybe it was to bring them closer to their father. Maybe it was both; perhaps by helping to repair the relationships between her charges and their father, she would be helping them to prepare for their new mother in Baroness Schraeder.

Whatever it was, Maria knew that she had done her duty.

* * *

 **I really wanted to get this final chapter up on Charmian's birthday, since this is obviously about Liesl. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.**


End file.
